Kirjahaku

A collection of approximately 200 archive images of The Wigstons, accompanied by captions.

Wigston, in the heart of tranquil Leicestershire, was transformed from a peaceful existence in August 1914 as war clouds swept across the skies of Europe. This village, the home of farming folk and framework knitters, suddenly witnessed its young men leaving, in vast numbers, to answer the call of King and Country. Greater demands were placed upon those who remained as the factories and farms responded to the needs of a wartime nation. A unique presence was the Glen Parva Barracks, the Regimental Depot of The Leicestershire Regiment, where tens of thousands of recruits and conscripted men received their basic training to prepare them for war. This is the story of Wigston in the First World War, the men who fought on the front line – one of whom was awarded the Victoria Cross – and those who served on the home front during ‘the war to end all wars’.

Wigston, despite its close proximity Leicester, has always been of an independent mind. With origins that can be traced back for over a thousand years, it has witnessed and been a part of the tremendous changes in English life over the past millennium. This fascinating collection of over 220 photographs records the many changes that have occurred in Wigston from the Victorian era to more recent times. Duncan Lucas, Tricia Berry and Peter Mastin have come together to compile an intriguing book which will bring back memories for many local people and enlighten both newcomers and a younger generation to what was once here.